dav and uri components with embedded slashes

I am a novice with Apache and working to displace ignorance
with knowledge. If my question is off topic for this list,
please point me to a more appropriate forum if you know of
one.

I have set up Apache 2 on Windows XP and enabled mod_dav.
That works fine. I have built a dav client that works well
with the server as well as successfully connected from well
known dav clients. 

As we further our development, the request has been made to
support URI components with embedded slashes, e.g.
"Code 11/test 14".

I have read about the apache directive AllowEncodedSlashes.
I tried placing it in the main section of httpd.conf, but no
joy.

Is it possible to support embedded slashes in directory and
file names in a DAV repository?

If it possible, I would most grateful for advice and/or link
to resources to help me understand a correct way to
accomplish this.

Thanks,

 - Mark Phillips

Phillips, Mark wrote:
> I am a novice with Apache and working to displace
ignorance with knowledge. If my question is off topic for
this list, please point me to a more appropriate forum if
you know of one.

The WebDAV mailing list 
<http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-dist-auth/>
probably is a 
better place...

> I have set up Apache 2 on Windows XP and enabled
mod_dav. That works fine. I have built a dav client that
works well with the server as well as successfully connected
from well known dav clients. 
> 
> As we further our development, the request has been
made to support URI components with embedded slashes, e.g.
"Code 11/test 14".
> 
> I have read about the apache directive
AllowEncodedSlashes. I tried placing it in the main section
of httpd.conf, but no joy.

Well, that would allow having them percent-encoded...

> Is it possible to support embedded slashes in directory
and file names in a DAV repository?
> 
> If it possible, I would most grateful for advice and/or
link to resources to help me understand a correct way to
accomplish this.

It's probably possible, but I would expect most WebDAV
clients to become 
extremely confused.

Not sure why you really would want that ... you can't have a
slash 
character in a filename for a reason .

BR, Julian

JR wrote:
> The WebDAV mailing list 
> <http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-dist-auth/>
probably is a 
> better place...

Thank you. I will pay them a visit.

And went on to write:
> It's probably possible, but I would expect most WebDAV
clients to become 
> extremely confused.
>
> Not sure why you really would want that ... you can't
have a slash 
> character in a filename for a reason .

Understood. Just trying to support natural language in the
system. Also, part of the spec involves integrating with an
existing dbms in which certain data common to the two system
have been allowed to contain various punctuation marks. 

I am/was trying to avoid substitutions or other heavy handed
techniques in deference to the end users. 

Thanks again,

 - Mark